The Other was dumbfounded, his hands grasping at the air unconsciously, words wanting to be spoken but swallowed back down.
The reason was simple: the one who took his scepter was Thanos, the father of His Highness Beckett, whom he served.
"It seems the existence of the Infinity Stones indeed requires a vessel."
Thanos, unconcerned with his injuries, looked down at the scepter in his hand, its appearance greatly changed. The gem radiating yellow light at the tip of the scepter was reflected in his eyes.
"Lord Thanos, we should go." Ebony Maw, with his hands behind his back, glanced at the spreading frost outside the royal palace and reminded him.
Having lost the Mind Stone, the power source that kept it running, the climate and environment of this planet, which relied on the Mind Stone, were naturally no longer pleasant.
The massive warship, under Ebony Maw's control, flew above the Crystal Royal Palace. A blinding beam of light descended from the sky, teleporting Thanos, Beckett, Ebony Maw, and The Other back onto the warship.
"Let's go."
The complete freezing of everything, including the buildings, did not move Thanos. Even Astra, whose body was already in ruins, was left behind by Thanos in the Crystal Royal Palace, awaiting death in the endless bitter cold.
"Accelerate, and leave this planet as soon as possible."
"Yes, Lord Thanos."
The moment the massive warship entered the space jump point, Planet B48, having lost its light, completely devolved into a dead planet.
Panicked races, praying crowds, disoriented animals, swaying plants, and more all became some of the most dazzling ice sculptures on Planet B48, waiting for later discoverers...
"This… this is the legendary Infinity Stone?"
On the warship, it was Ebony Maw's first time seeing something like the Infinity Stones, which only existed in books and legends. A rare hint of astonishment flickered in his eyes. The Other, standing beside him, hesitated to speak.
He really wanted to say that the scepter, which had now changed so drastically, was the sacred artifact that their Chitauri race had worshipped for generations. But given the current situation, it seemed unlikely they would get their ancestral treasure back.
As for why Thanos didn't embed the gem into his greatsword but instead into his own scepter, that was the point The Other found most baffling. However, he dared not say it, nor did he dare to ask.
The old crooked-neck tree on Planet B48 was still covered in frost. He didn't want to go down there and experience a winter wonderland.
"This is only one of them. Only when all six Infinity Stones are gathered can I truly achieve my goal."
Thanos, toying with the scepter in his hand, paused for a long time before tossing it directly to Beckett, who was standing beside him.
"Father?"
Beckett caught the scepter with one hand, a look of confusion on his face.
"Take this scepter and bring your army to Asgard in three days."
"Why?" Hearing the name Asgard again, Beckett didn't quite understand.
"Odin's adversary, the Dark Elf race, possesses part of the Reality Stone's power." This was information Odin himself had personally conveyed to Thanos, and coming from the King of Asgard, it couldn't be false.
This was a deal between him and Odin: in exchange for clues about the Reality Stone, he would secure a future of peace and unification for the Nine Realms. For Odin, who was now determined to conquer the Nine Realms, this seemed like a worthwhile trade.
Moreover, what Odin was trading was merely a clue to the Reality Stone.
"Reality Stone?" Beckett frowned.
"That's right, the Reality Stone," Thanos nodded.
"It is an extremely powerful and bizarre gem. All scientific principles and natural laws are meaningless before it, as it can alter them at will."
"However, it has a fatal flaw: it cannot be used alone. Without the assistance of other Stones, the consequences for the user would be devastating."
This was also why Thanos had given Beckett the scepter embedded with the Mind Stone. Without this Mind Stone, Beckett would not be able to use his own power to forcibly retrieve the Reality Stone from the Dark Elf stronghold upon contact.
"Now, do you understand, Beckett?"
"But what if the Dark Elf stronghold doesn't have the Reality Stone?" Beckett couldn't understand why his adoptive father, Thanos, trusted Odin so much in this matter.
"This is the King's promise. If he betrays his promise, he will pay a heavy price."
"And a price he cannot afford to pay."
Once the Dark Order joined the war in the Nine Realms to attack Asgard, Thanos alone would be enough to give Odin a headache, let alone his subordinates, the Black Order of four.
"I understand, Father."
Turning the scepter in his hand and playing with it for a while, Beckett nodded.
The continuous space jumps eroded the atmosphere of conversation on the warship. Upon arriving at Chitauri Prime, Beckett and The Other waved goodbye to Thanos and returned to the Chitauri capital in a flight pod.
"Within these three days, replenish all our forces."
Stepping into his own royal palace, Beckett seemed to recall something and commanded The Other, who was following closely behind him.
"Understood, His Highness Beckett." The Other, still not daring to ask Beckett for the scepter back, replied. Just as he was about to silently withdraw, he suddenly heard Beckett say, "Wait a moment."
"What?"
"Take it." Beckett directly threw the scepter, which he had been playing with for a long time, back to The Other, who was yearning for it in his heart.
His father had said that until his own strength reached its peak, it was not advisable to overuse the power of the Mind Stone, as it could easily lead to psychological dependence, hindering his growth.
His father had also said that giving sufficient trust to loyal subordinates would make them work harder for you, especially in matters of great importance.
However, the prerequisite was that you possessed the ability to personally correct any mistakes if your trust was misplaced.
"Wooooooh!!"
"Your… Your Highness Beckett?!"
The Other hadn't imagined the scepter would ever return to his hands. He fumbled, cradling the scepter back into his embrace, his voice trembling slightly.
This was an Infinity Stone!
The tip of this scepter was embedded with a legendary Infinity Stone from the universe!
It... it was returned to him...?
The Other suddenly felt the scepter in his hand was incredibly heavy. Beckett's trust pressed down on his heart like a mountain, the impact evident.
"Is there a problem?" Beckett turned, reclining on his throne, propping his jaw with his left hand and rhythmically tapping the armrest with his right index finger, his gaze calm.
"No!"
"Nothing!"
"I will absolutely not betray His Highness Beckett's trust!" The Other, holding the scepter, took a deep breath and carefully gripped it as if it were a rare treasure. He respectfully bowed to Beckett on the throne, his gratitude overflowing.
If his previous loyalty to Beckett stemmed from recognizing Beckett's potential and being willing to gamble the Chitauri race's future on it, then now, he truly felt Beckett's trust in him.
This made The Other feel his past efforts hadn't been in vain. Although His Highness Beckett appeared indifferent, he still remembered him.
He accepted this weighty trust.
From this day forward, he, The Other, would pledge his family's generations of servitude to His Highness Beckett!
Tonight, the Chitauri Prime breeding grounds gained another person working late.
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